Test clip



sept. s, 1963 3,102,938

R' B YONGUE TEST CLIP Filed OGL 3 1960 ,POM/27 yONGl/f the appended claims.

United States Patent O 3&92338 TEST CLIP Robert ll. Yongue, 45M Palmer Ave., Jacksonville 10, Fla. Filed (Ict. 3, 1360, Ser. No. 59,913 6 Claims. (El. Zilli-158) `which is attachable to a crossarrn of a telephone pole and which is exposed to outside atmospheric conditions.

Another general object of this invention is to provide improved means for opening a telephone line for testing purposes and for closing the line after the test is made.

A speciiic object of this invention is to provide irnproved means for attaching a test clip to a crossarm of a telephone pole.

Another specific object is to improve the weather resistance of a test clip.

A particular object of this invention is to minimize spurious noise in a test clip.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, to-

v gether with further objects and advantages thereof, may

best be understood by reference to the following descriptin taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FtlG. 1 is a perspective view of the test clip in accord with this invention which is shown mounted on a crossarm of a telephone pole;

FIG. 2 is an exploded, full transverse sectional'view taken along line 2 2 of IFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a portion of the tes-t clip showing the inner spade ends of the extending wires; and

BIG. 4 is an exploded side elevational view, partially broken away, of the test clip in accord with this invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing of FIG. l the test clip 9, having copper wire lengths 11 and 1K2 projecting outwardly therefrom, is mounted on a Wooden crosarm 13. Copper wire y12 is shown as being spliced Ito a telephone line 7 by a compression sleeve il and copper wire 11 is intended to be similarly spliced to the portion of line 7 extending in the opposite direction whereby the clip is interposed in series in the line 7. The test clip 9 includes a hollow body member di@l which comprises an upper body or shell portion 1'5, having a rain drip edge x16, and a lower body or shell yll held together by body bolts 18 and nuts, including nut 63 shown in lFIG. 4.

The test clip `9, in accord with the present invention, is more clearly shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 wherein insulating inserts 419 and 2d are provided between body portions and 17 diametrically opposite each other. Wires 11 and 112 pass respectively through inserts |119 and 2li and extend within the cavity 2.14 of the test clip body 1li. Inserts 19 and 20 include respective integral flanges 21 and 22 which inwardly engage the body portions 15 and 17, thereby preventing inserts i119 and 2l)` from being pulled outwardly from cavity 14. Wires 11 and `1.2 are brazed to respective retainer plates 23 and 24, and the plates 23 and 24 respectively engage 'lianges 21 and 22 of inserts 219 and to prevent the `wires 1v1 and 12 from being pulled outwardly from cavity 14. The wires l1 3,102,938 Patented Sept. 3, 1953 ICC ' the button 31 having an annular upstanding central collar portion 32 which extends into and is engaged in opening 27 of spade 25. A vertical conductive shaft. 313, having a skirt portion 34 preferably of copper or brass, screws down on the shank 28 of bolt 129; ln its normal position skirt portion 34 seats against and makes contact with spade 25, as shown by the broken lines in FIG. 2. An electrical circuit is completed when the shaft is so screwed down from the lower spade 26, through bolt Z9, to the shaft 33 and through its skirt 3d to the upper spade 2S. The circuit is broken by merely unscrewing shaft 33 or bolt 29 sufficiently to separate skirt 34 from spade 25, as shown in full lines in FIG. 2.

The shaft 33 is slidingly fitted through an insulating disk 49 which is mounted in an opening il in upper body member 1S. Knob 35 is ittedly engaged on a ribbed upper end portion 3d of shaft 33 and held thereon by a bolt 36 engaged against a lock washer 37, the bolt 35 being threaded within shaft 33. The knob 35 provides the means to rotate shaft 33 and thereby to break the electrical connection between the skirt 34 and the upper lspade 215 when the knob 35 unscrews the shaft 33 from bolt 219. The knob 35 also provides a rain shield for the insulating disk dll. The disk dll is retained within the upper body member 1S by a retainer ring d?. and bolts 43.

A square crossarm bolt Sli projects through lower body `member 17. A recessed portion Sil inwardly of body member `\l-"7 receives aV weatherproof, washer 52 seated `therein against which an outwardly extending square head liange `53 of the bolt seats, forming a weatherproof seal. The bolt head p5-3 is retained within recessed portion S1 of body member i7 by retaining ring 54 held in place by bolts 55 screwed into the body member.

As can be best seen in FIG. 4, a gasket 5g, comprising hat portions dll and `61 and inserts 19* and 2li, is provided ,between the body members l15 and 17 and a weatherproof seal is formed between body members `l5 and 17 when body bolts '13 and nuts, including nut 53, assemble the test clip 9. -ln its preferred form as shown, a gasket 59 is of unitary construction.

The test clip 9 is provided with a pair of crossarm engaging spikes 65 and 66 which project inwardly into crossarm 13 to hold the test clip body lll in fxed non-rotatable position when it is rigidly mounted on crossarm 13 by bolt 50 and nut 641. Since rotation of clip body 1li is prevente/d, =wires 1.1 and .v1-2 remain in opposite radial alignment exerting no substantial lateral force against the inserts 19 and 2li regardless of the tension of the line 7, whereby the chance of damage of the insertsis minimized.

The body lll of test clip 9 is preferably forme-d of metal, as shown, which may be either a good or poor electrical conductor. Ilt is contemplated however, that other suitable materials, such as glass or plastics, `may be employed in forming the test clip body.

The test clips of the present invention are intended to be used at preselected points along the telephone lines and :to replace the normal insulators at those points. The telephone lines lare tested for lfaults by linemen whenever a fault occurs and the presen-t invention enables a lineman to readily test the lines for faults. In testing for faults, a lineman turns the top knob of the respective test clip to open the line or lines to be tested. A telephone, for example, may then be connected to either of the now disconnected sections of the open line or lines. When the test is completed, the telephone or other instrument is disconnected from the line or lines and the knobs of the one or more test clips are screwed down to again complete each line.

In making the test, it is important that insulating button 31 be dry so that it does not generate spurious noise. It is also 4important that the shaft insulator. 40 and insulating inserts 19 and 20 be kept dry to reduce any noise which they might otherwise generate. The present test clip 9', having an enclosed hollow portion 14, effectively shields insulating button 31 from the weather elements. Likewise, knob 35 shields insulator 40 and rain drip edge 16 of upper body portion 15 partially shields insulating inserts 19 and 20. ".[lhe introduction of noise by ltest clips for the purposes of the present vinvention is desirably minimized not only in order that the telephone lines may properly transmit the electrical information when in normal use with the test clips closed to complete the lines, but also to provide the best possible conditions under which the test may be made when the lines are opened by the test clips.

Wlhile only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications willooccur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as'fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A test clip comprising a hollow body member hav'- ing an upper shell portion and a lower shell portion, a pair of oppositely facing insulating inserts extending through said body member and being kdisposed between said shell portions, a respective Wire extending inwardly of said body member through each said respective insert, each said wire having a spade end portion inwardly of said body member, a conductive bolt mounted through one of said spade end portions, an insulating button surrounding said bollt and disposed against said one end portion, the other spade end portion being seated on said button and being insulated thereby from said one end portion and said bolt, a shaft slidably mounted through an insulating disk disposed in said upper body portion,

said shaft being threaded ony said bolt,.said shatft having a conductive skirt which selectively engages said other end portion thereby forming an electrical circuit path between said'spade end portions, and means connected to said shaft outwardly of said body member to selectively v move said skirt into contact with said other end portion.

2. The test clip as defined in claim 1 wherein said means includes a knob secured to said shaft for turning shaft and for shielding said disk. Y

3. The test clip as defined in claim 1 wherein said upper shell portion includes a rain drip edge for shielding said oppositely facing inserts. v i Y 4. The test clip as defined in claim l wherein each said wire is connected to a respective retainer plate, each said retainer plate engaging respective said inserts thereby preventing said wires from being pulled outwardly from said body member.

5. A test clip for mounting on a crossarm of a telephone pole comprising a body member having an upper shell portion and a lowerl shell portion, said lower shell portion including means for attachment 4to said crossarm, a pail' of oppositely `facing insulating inserts extending through said body member and being disposed between said shell portions, said upper shell portion including a rain edge for shielding said inserts, a respective Wire extending inwardly of said body member through each said respective insert, each said wire having a spade end inwardly of said body member, a conductive bolt mounted through one of said spade ends, an insulating button surrounding said bolt and disposed against said one spade end, the other spade end-being seated on said button and being insulated thereby from said one spade end portion and said bolt, a conductive shaft threaded on said bolt, said shaft having a skirt :for engagement with said other spade end, an insulating disk extending through said upper shell portion, said shaft being slidably mounted through said disk land extending outwardly `from saidV upper shell, and a knob mounted on said shaft outwardly from said upper shell, said knob providing a rain shield for said insulating dis-k, said knob being rotatable which selectively moves said shaft upwardly 'and downwardly, thereby respectivelyopening and closing an electrical circuit path between said spade ends.

6. The test clip as delined in claim 5 further comprising a pair of crossarm engaging spikes extending downwardly from said lower shell portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A TEST CLIP COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER SHELL PORTION AND A LOWER SHELL PORTION, A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY FACING INSULATING INSERTS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY MEMBER AND BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SHELL PORTIONS, A RESPECTIVE WIRE EXTENDING INWARDLY OF SAID BODY MEMBER THROUGH EACH SAID RESPECTIVE INSERT, EACH SAID WIRE HAVING A SPADE END PORTION INWARDLY OF SAID BODY MEMBER, A CONDUCTIVE BOLT MOUNTED THROUGH ONE OF SAID SPADE END PORTIONS, AN INSULATING BUTTON SURROUNDING SAID BOLT AND DISPOSED AGAINST SAID ONE END PORTION, THE OTHER SPADE END PORTION BEING SEATED ON SAID BUTTON AND BEING INSULATED THEREBY FROM SAID ONE END PORTION AND SAID BOLT, A SHAFT SLIDABLY MOUNTED THROUGH AN INSULATING DISK DISPOSED IN SAID UPPER BODY PORTION, SAID SHAFT BEING THREADED ON SAID BOLT, SAID SHAFT HAVING A CONDUCTIVE SKIRT WHICH SELECTIVELY ENGAGES SAID OTHER END PORTION THEREBY FORMING AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT PATH BE- 